La Esperanza Granada

Our focus is on education at a very basic level. By focusing on supporting young children in the poorest barrios of Granada to receive an education, we hope to help them and their families break the cycle of poverty. We believe in giving a hand up, not a hand out.

La Esperanza Granada started in one small village on the outskirts of Granada in 2002, and now helps more than 2,000 children in poverty stricken areas.

Volunteers currently work in our learning centres that are based in various barrios within Granada. In the learning centres we teach the children a variety of subjects including English, Spanish, Maths, Art and computing. And our aim with these centres is to provide a safe and welcoming space in which we give informal and fun after-school education to Nicaraguan children who ordinarily receive very few hours of schooling a day. We try to help in a non invasive way by working directly with the children with the help of our 'ayudantes' (our Nicaraguan volunteers who we sponsor through University). We also need volunteers for communications and promotion in the office and help with maintenance of the volunteer housing.

We spend a lot of time working on the basics, assisting children learn to read, write and understand numbers. When a child learns to recognize the significance of letters and numbers, a gateway to the whole world opens up for them.

In addition to the work our volunteers do, we sponsor children through high school and university, carry out building projects to improve local housing, and fund dental visits and eye examinations for the children. As a volunteer you are not replacing an employee, or taking a job away from a local person as we actively work with the local community, not just beside them.

Our Activities

What We Need

Volunteers currently work in our learning centres that are based in various barrios within Granada. In the learning centres we teach the children a variety of subjects including English, Spanish, Maths, Art and computing. Our aim with these centres is to provide a safe and welcoming space in which we give informal and fun after-school education to Nicaraguan children who ordinarily receive very few hours of schooling a day. We try to help in a non invasive way by working directly with the children with the help of our 'ayudantes' (our Nicaraguan volunteers who we sponsor through University).

Our English Team teach students aged 10-16 in the morning from 8-11am. Our Afternoon Teaching Team teach Spanish, art and mathematics to kids aged 5-12, from 1pm till 4 . Computing runs for both these sessions. We ask volunteers to arrive 30 minutes early to help clean and order their centre. When teaching you will need to plan your own lessons in your own free time, though we have lots of resources to help you with this! Therefore, our volunteers work 4 hours per day 5 days a week.

When

We are always looking for more volunteers, and you can apply at any time. Our learning centers are open all year.

Duration

Minimum stay is 4 weeks although longer is always better. Long term volunteers are very welcome. If unable to stay four weeks, please discuss your circumstances with us

What We Provide

Accommodation

Our volunteer houses all have fully equipped kitchens, fans, washing machines, wifi Internet connection, and are situated in the historic town center of Granada, a short walk from our office and all Granada's bars and restaurants. The current charges are $25 per week per person in a dorm style room, or $35-45 for a private room (depending on whether it is en suite or not). We have some double rooms for couples which cost $50. Sheets are provided, plus we employ local women who do the basic cleaning.

We can also help volunteers who do not wish to stay in our houses to find alternative accommodation, whether in a homestay or a private apartment.

Important Info

Suitable For

Individuals

Minimum Stay

Any period of time

Staff Size

Up to 5 people

Fees

We do not charge for any program or registration fees, but we do ask volunteers to make a one off $50 contribution on arrival, to help cover administration costs. This is to ensure that all our donations go directly to delivering our core purpose of education. Volunteers are also required to wear our La Esperanza Granada t-shirts whilst working in the schools, which cost $5 each.

Volunteers are responsible for their own living and accommodation costs whilst in Granada, although we do offer inexpensive volunteer housing from $25 a week for a dorm room (3 beds) and from $35 a week for a private room.

We also offer inexpensive Spanish lessons through a local teacher.

Watch Us

1 Review

“I worked for La Esperanza Granada for two months and had a great time. The first week I was a teacher's assistant in one of the schools the organization is working in. That means I was in class with the teacher helping her with the kids, making them do their tasks and explain to them if they don't understand. I also did one on one tutoring after regular school hours. Although you need some patience here, it is definitely rewarding work to do. The other 7 weeks I spent working in the office as an PR and Communications Officer. I learned a lot about the difficulties an NGO in Nicaragua encounters and how we could best manage this charity organization with limited resources.

I would like to say that I am impressed with the quality of the other volunteers here. With so many (we have nearly 40 at the moment!), you'd think you'd run across more bad eggs. But really everyone here is wonderful, the housing is basic but nice, and the community fairly vibrant and supportive. Granada is a great place to base out of for weekend travel, but it's also a city that stands up pretty well on its own.

I would definitely recommend La Esperanza to others looking for a fulfilling long-term, low-cost volunteer placement!”